Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Bulk Of People Who Use Heroin Are Functioning Addicts. Here’s A Look At Their Lives

CNN talks to people addicted to heroin who are still holding down jobs, paying bills and fooling their families. In other news on the national drug crisis: Ohio sues four major opioid distributors; the judge overseeing hundreds of lawsuits against drug companies wants the DEA to release painkiller data; a look at how much the epidemic has cost New York City; and more.

CNN:
Inside The Secret Lives Of Functioning Heroin Addicts
They're not slumped over in alleyways with used needles by their sides. Their dignity, at least from outside appearances, remains intact. They haven't lost everything while chasing an insatiable high. They are functioning heroin addicts -- people who hold down jobs, pay the bills and fool their families. For some, addiction is genetic; they're wired this way. For others, chronic pain and lack of legal opioids landed them here. Or experimentation got them hooked and changed everything. (Ravitz, 2/27)

Reuters:
Ohio Accuses Drug Distributors Of Helping Fuel Opioid Epidemic
Ohio on Monday accused four major pharmaceutical distributors of ignoring their responsibilities to ensure that opioids were not being diverted for improper uses, contributing to a drug abuse epidemic in the state. The lawsuit by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine was filed in a state court against McKesson Corp, Cardinal Health Inc, AmerisourceBergen Corp and Miami-Luken Inc and marked the second he has pursued over corporations' roles in the opioid crisis. (Raymond, 2/26)

Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Judge Overseeing Opioid Lawsuits Pushes DEA To Release Drug Data For Settlement Talks
The federal judge overseeing hundreds of lawsuits local governments filed against opioid manufacturers and distributors is pushing the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to release government-collected painkiller data to both sides engaging in settlement talks. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, during a hearing Monday, ordered the DEA to inform him by March 5 if it will consent to releasing some data from the Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System, or ARCOS. He also wants to know how long it would take to release the data. (Heisig, 2/26)

Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Opioid Addiction Treatment Targeted In Ohio Capital Budget Bill
Facilities offering addiction treatment programs are among nearly $20 million in Cuyahoga County projects included in the $2.62 billion state capital budget bill introduced Monday. The capital budget funds improvements to roads, schools and public buildings, but community projects tend to hog the spotlight despite comprising a small portion of the budget. (Borchardt, 2/26)

The Wall Street Journal:
NYC: Opioid Crisis Has Cost City $500 Million
Mayor Bill de Blasio offered few specifics when he said New York City litigation would seek about $500 million from opioid manufacturers and distributors to recover costs associated with abuse of the drugs. The breakdown of that half billion offers a window into how the opioid epidemic has taxed the city, with most of it borne by its financially strapped public-health system. (Ramey, 2/26)

Reuters:
Doctor Tied To Insys Opioid Kickback Probe Gets Prison Term
A Michigan doctor linked to a federal investigation into allegations that Insys Therapeutics Inc paid kickbacks to medical practitioners to prescribe its flagship opioid product was sentenced on Monday to 32 months in prison. Gavin Awerbuch, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow in Detroit after admitting that he wrote prescriptions for Insys' fentanyl-based cancer pain medication Subsys for non-legitimate uses and committed health care fraud. (Friess, 2/26)

Des Moines Register:
Opioid Crisis In Iowa: Legislation In House Tackles Problem
The Iowa House passed bipartisan legislation Monday night aimed at battling a crisis in opioid addiction that lawmakers said will help save lives and reduce personal devastation and family tragedies that are striking many communities. House File 2377 would place limits on opioid prescriptions, implement Good Samaritan laws for those who report overdoses and require physicians to file every prescription electronically to avoid circumstances when paper prescriptions are subject to forgeries (Petroski, 2/26)